Stefanos Tsitsipas blames loaded ATP schedule, 2-week Masters 1000 events for Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner & others' injury crisis

Stefanos Tsitsipas assessed the absence of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the ongoing Italian Open. Both Alcaraz and Sinner withdrew ahead of the ATP Masters 1000 event citing injury concerns, leaving the prestigious tournament devoid of two of men's tennis' biggest names.

Tsitsipas' assessment came during a press conference following his emphatic 6-2, 7-6(1) win over Cameron Norrie in the pair's third-round contest in Rome. At one point during the presser, the Greek was asked if he saw the early exits of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic from the tournament, combined with the absence of Alcaraz and Sinner, as an opportunity to win it.

In his response, Tsitsipas did not speak too much about the opportunity he and other players in his position have at the Italian Open amid the absence of multiple high-profile names. Instead, the 25-year-old reflected on how tennis is "hurt" when the best players in the business are either eliminated early or compelled to withdraw due to injury.

"Well, it is the way it is now. It's a type of thing that hurt the sport a little bit, to have these type of things happen to the highest of the players. Without them, the show is not kind of the same. You have obviously the guys behind them. These kind of tournaments deserve names like this to be playing, active, have the opportunity to play in front of these big stadiums and crowds," Tsitsipas said.

The ATP World No. 8 also criticized the hectic schedule for players, especially at Masters 1000 events. According to Tsitsipas, players are affected both mentally and physically which ultimately increases injury risks.

"I've spoken about the fact that the schedule has a big toll on our bodies. It starts from the mental side, and it follows to the physical side. The extension of the days in the Masters 1000s I think plays a massive role and contributes a lot to the fact that these players are getting injured," Tsitsipas added.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas set to face Alex de Minaur in what should be a thrilling fourth-round match at the Italian Open

Alex de Minaur (L) and Stefanos Tsitsipas during the trophy presentation ceremony at the 2023 Mifel ATP Los Cabos Open

Tsitsipas' toughest test so far at this year's Italian Open will be the No. 9 seed and ATP World No. 11 Alex de Minaur. The pair will face off in the fourth round on Tuesday, May 14. De Minaur progressed to the fourth round after a come-from-behind win over Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round.

The Greek has an astonishing 10-1 win-loss record against de Minaur in their head-to-head on the ATP Tour. However, their last meeting, which came in the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open earlier this year, went the Australian's way.

De Minaur eventually went on to successfully defend his Mexican Open title by defeating Casper Ruud in the final.